It was a beautiful evening. The soft, fading light was bright with the last colors of spring. A color of hope and melancholy and their youngest children found their way to adulthood. A day of becoming for some, and goodbye for another. He leaned lightly against his small wife as they did one last check on their preparations. The bonfire blazed brightly at the centerpoint of the show. A stack of wood beside it to ensure it blazed long into the night. Hidden nearby was a collection of presents that he and his wife both had worked long and hard on completing - with the help of a few of their pack mates. Halo, for the dyes, and Ruga for his blacksmith knowledge. There were blankets strewn about the soft sand, and a pile of food waiting for tasting. All that was missing now was their children, and the pack. The Warlord turned to his Wife, a smile on his maw. ”You ready?” he whispered softly, knowing she must feel a similar mix of emotions that he did. When she answered, placing a paw over his, he smiled gently at her, and tossed back his head. Calling for their children, and for the rest of the pack to join them. They had something to celebrate. "Speech"

Zee had leaned heavily on her husband since the day she'd come back, but this day was shaping up to look like one of the hardest yet. How had her children grown so fast? They were adults now, free to petition to leave, to go out and find mates, to have children of their own. There was an overwhelming mixture of both excitement and stress as they prepared the beach for the coming evening, and Zee couldn't stop wondering how many children she'd have left beside her by the season's end. Briar in the very least would be leaving them, and while Zee knew she should be proud of the standing her daughter would find herself in the Hallows, that joy was overshadowed by the worry that she might get hurt or worse. Sirius was speaking and she startled from her train of thought, flicking her gaze to him and back and blowing out a stressed exhale. "As ready as I'll ever be." She murmured, leaning into him and placing her small paw upon his own. The warlord's head tilted back to call for their wolves to gather, and she joined her voice to his. "Speech"

Iolaire had been skulking around the Armada for a day or two. She'd visited as promised, then decided to stay for the birthday celebration of her nieces and nephew, not that she knew any of them. It had seemed important to Sirius, so here she was. No one had told her that there would be a birthday celebration, so she did what Iolaire did best. She caught each of the birthday children... or younglings, adults, whatever... a fat mouse. A birthday snack. If they didn't like it, well... she would have a birthday snack. Once the preparations were done, Sirius called for everyone. Io wasn't too far away, so she sidled up beside the pile of firewood and lay down on her belly, tucking her paws beneath her bony chest in a very catlike way. The emaciated fae was content to stay there. She could feel the warmth of the fire and she deemed herself out of the way. Mission Party Guest: Complete. "Speech"

Briar had a suspicion that her parents had something up their sleeve with how they had been sneaking around and how Ruga had hidden some things when he saw her approaching to check on Artorias' sword, but she tried to pretend like she didn't notice. She wanted to be surprised and wanted to fully enjoy the party that they never got to have as yearlings when their lives were thrown into turmoil with their mother's disappearance and supposed death. In the morning Lia was helping her experiment with ways to tie up or braid the long fur that had started to grow from her tail. She didn't know why, but after trying a random bath bomb that had gotten mixed into their supplies during one of her usual baths the fur on her tail had started growing longer and longer and now it was nearly dragging the ground when she wasn't actively trying to hold it higher to prevent it. If it kept on like this she was going to have to just get used to it dragging on the ground! Perhaps she could trim the longer hairs... but they looked too pretty to cut off.

With her tail done up in a pretty braid and tied off with a strip of fabric that Lia had fashioned into a ribbon of sorts, she had spent the morning making a few final preparations for her move. Ruga had asked for a bit more time to make some final finishing touches on the sword's restoration so she knew it would be at least a week or so into summer before she finally set out for The Hallows, but she'd rather just get it all taken care of now than have things left to the last minute. With all that done she was ready to relax by the den she had shared with Mortis, Hika, and Lia for a while until she heard her parents calling for her, her siblings, and the rest of the pack. She lifted her head curiously and then a little grin pulled across her lips.

She wasn't sure where Lia was at the moment, but she hoped her friend would catch up with her as she turned and trotted off toward the beach, arriving fairly early in seemed since only her parents and Iolaire were there so far, but she didn't mind being early to the party. She giggled as she approached her parents, her tail swaying behind her as she came up to them to kiss them both on the cheek. "I knew you were planning something," she said with a grin. She went over to Iolaire next to greet her since she hadn't seen the healer since she was a very young pup and gave her a smile. The scent of The Hallows was pretty noticeable on her so she asked, "Io! Will I be seeing you in The Hallows when I come down there in a few weeks?" She settled next to Io by the fire and waited for the others to arrive, eager to see what all her parents had planned.

"Briar Zeitgeist Fatalis"

Kotori had wondered what his parents would be doing for their birthday.  The boy had been busy enough it had been a thought that kept to the back of his mind occasionally and forgotten most of the time.  Still, he had chosen not to go out hunting today lest he miss whatever was planned.  Considering he’d lost fights to both father and Azure there had been time put into practicing his fighting skills and time spent patrolling the border.  There had been a moment in the patrol he had stopped at the border between Armada and Ashen boundary line.  Was Ikigai nearby to visit if he chose to?  Pack land wasn’t normally where they visited and now wasn’t the time.

It was evening when his father howled for them.  Maybe, just maybe he’d been starting to wonder if he’d been wrong in his confidence that something would happen for his birthday.  He approached the beach with a slow jog, head up.  The boy slowed his proud trot at a surprising sight.  Iolaire?  How long had it been?  She hadn’t seemed as small to him back then, so clearly a long time.  “Io? It’s been ages,” Kotori greeted with pleasantry, “Thank you for showing today.  Will you be staying long?”

“Hey Briar,” Kotori added aside to his sister, “I thought I’d join your trip to the hallows.  Give your brother a last chance to pretend you could use his protection.” She was more than capable of taking care of herself and she was moving up in status fast.  Kotori intended to make sure she wasn’t the only one in their litter to raise up in status.  However, the upcoming jaunt would be all about her.  Glancing about the area, spotting his parents he gave a smug grin to them as well.  Next greeting would be to them, and a subtle hint to his father of an upcoming rematch.  Kotori refused to quit at a loss.  It was his birthday, not the day for the spar but, it didn’t mean he couldn’t remind him of it.  


"Kotori Fatalis"

Ophie always got a little nervous when Father called, but it seemed as though he wasn't singling her out this time. That this was gonna be a whole family affair, which was uh...equally as scary to be honest. All those strong and mighty warriors lined up, with fat Ophie off to the side as though ready to roll off into obscurity. Toddling along as fast as her sausagey form would allow, Ophie was panting by the time she arrived, all huffy and puffy. Coated in filth as always. Poor Briar had tried, bless her soul but the cleanliness hadn't lasted for long, only a few hours. Maybe she ought to have made an effort to tidy up as it seemed as though some sort of gathering was a foot. Maybe even a party? The thought made her shudder, enough to send her scurrying to Briar's side as she hid against the tan of her form, leaving-accidental- muddy smudges as she brushed up against her shoulder. Was it too late to trundle off with her tail between her legs? Most certainly, she'd already been seen and to leave now would no doubt leave a bad taste in everyone's mouth, but it was still tempting all the same. Like a snack out of reach. "Hello Kotori." She cheeped, like a fat chicken. It had been forever since she'd seen him last, let alone had a conversation. The thought of him judging her, being mean, kept her right where she was, near cowering behind her big sister. "Been a while?" Scary stuff all around. Made her want to eat A LOT.

He heard the call of the Warlord and a roguish grin crept across his face. Artorias had managed to slip into the Armada without Briar being any wiser the day before at the invite of her parents, and aside from that little incident with the tiger at the borders, had been able to hide out in the barracks while the Fatalis family made their final preparations. He'd spent the day preparing to surprise Briar at her own party, sneaking back out undetected to bathe in the Hot Springs and groom his fur out all nice and presentable. It simply wouldn't do for an alpha to show up to a social event unkept and disorderly, and he was still trying to make a good impression with Sirius and Zee. He knew what he was doing was a lot for them—taking Briar from her family to rule the Hallows with him—and it wasn't something he took lightly or without consideration. He wanted her parents to like him, to approve of them, and to be a part of their family and lives. A joining of families instead of an abduction of a daughter.

Artorias had finished applying a delicate cypress fragrance oil to his fur when the call had gone out summoning the pack to the beach. He did a final check of himself to make sure he was presentable, double checked the bandage on his injured leg, then grabbed the bag filled with wine bottles he'd brought as a gift and set out down the beach towards the party. As he walked across the soft sand, looking out at the sea, he was reminded of the season he spent here almost a year ago. The memories made him smile, and he would always be appreciative of the time he got to spend learning from Sirius and being a part of the Armada. Upon arriving at the bonfire, the dark-furred young wolf saw several wolves had already gathered—including his beloved Briar. The smile on his face widened to a full blown grin while he crept down the shore, making his way nearly silently up around and behind Briar and Ophelia, then crept up behind Briar and leaned in to nuzzle his snout behind her ear.

"Room for one more?" he asked in jest while he moved up to Briar's opposite side, flashing her a playful grin with love shining in his fiery eyes. He then leaned in to nuzzle Briar properly, his presence no doubt betraying the purpose of the surprise gathering for her and her siblings. Speaking of which... Artorias leaned forward to glance at Ophelia on the other side of Briar, greeting her with a warm smile as well. "Hello again, Ophie! How's the training been going?" He knew that he and Briar had started some fitness lessons for her when he'd been here last. Hopefully she'd been keeping to them, and maybe she'd lost a little weight too! Slow and steady, and all that. He then turned his attention to Sirius and Zee, dipping his head respectfully to the Warlord and Queen. "Sirius, Zee, thank you both for inviting me." He meant that; there was nowhere he'd rather be than right here. Setting down his bag on the sand, the Aegis began unpacking bottle after bottle of rich wine, a mix of reds and whites, all the hallmark of the Hallows vintages.

"Artorias Carpathius"

Upon hearing that there would be a birthday celebration for Kotori and his siblings, Iki had sent her cat to the Warlord, requesting an invite, which was given. Kotori was essentially an adult now and the Ashen princess didn't want to give him a childish gift. She did want it to be meaningful though, so she decided to make him something herself. Checking with her brothers, it was the general consensus that guys liked food. So... food, she would make.

The day of the party came and Ikigai loaded her items into a basket which Tanuki took up in his strong jaws. Both canine and feline accompanied their mistress as she passed over into Armada lands. Ikigai had dressed in her best and was garbed in a rich, crimson kimono that accentuated the marks at the corners of her eyes and gave her a very dramatic look. Other wolves may have thought her appearance odd, but in her mind, she was doing Kotori an honor.

Seeing the wolf in question beside the fire with his siblings and others, Ikigai made her way towards him, but first she needed to pay her respects. Coming before the warlord and his wife, Iki gave a low bow of her crown. "Greetings. Thank you for inviting me to the celebration. I appreciate it." With another nod and a smile that brought mercuric eyes crinkling at the corners, she begged leave and moved towards Kotori.

Clearing her throat lightly, Iki came up beside the horned young man. She was feeling very... shy and fluttery inside, but she tried not to let it show outside. "Happy Birthday, Kotori," she spoke softly, then looked around to his siblings that were nearby. "Happy birthday to all of you." From her basket, she removed little jars, offering one to each of Kotori's siblings. "I've made you all some spiced peaches. I hope you like them." She then took the basket from Tanuki and placed it before Kotori. Within he would find a similar jar of spiced peaches, but also there were seasoned dried meats of different varieties, a jar of alcohol infused apples, and a small, red tassel that Iki had made herself. She wasn't sure what Kotori might want to do with it, but she wanted to give him something to remember her by.

"X"

The Warlord called. Halo came. Her steps across the ground were soft, padding to join the celebration. To join the gathering… somewhere in the back of her mind, she wondered how long she’d need to stay. Maybe she could say hello and then fade away, and return later to help tidy up after. How did gatherings like this even work? Some intricacies of pack life (let’s be real, most intricacies) we’re still a mystery to the tenderhearted girl. Softly, the pale healer drifted towards the cluster of wolves, greeting Ophelia and Kotori first. They were familiar faces, and iHalo was thankful for that. A softly given happy birthday, before passing the sentiment to Briar as well. Right, that had to be Briar, Halo figured. A smile to the strangers that had gathered here, tight as it was, at least she wasn’t going to be rude. Social situations made her more than a little nervous. The pale healer offered a dip of her head and a longer glance to Sirius. A quickly mouthed thank you, for putting on something so lovely. With that, Halo drifted to the fringes, fading into the background easily.

Gossamer was herb gathering in the weeping woods. While it was true she was intending to shift her focus back to fighting her stores had been so depleted during the long winter she had to get them restocked. It would just sit and itch in her brain, preventing her focus until at last the job was done. She tucked some marsh mallow plants in a square of hide, folding the corners to create a makeshift satchel.

In the distance she heard her father calling for them and she wondered what the call was for. It didn't seem urgent or indicative of some crisis but all the same she shifted her course and headed for the Sea's Plains. By the time she arrived there was already a good gathering of wolves. She arrived just as a stranger from Ashen did. She struck Gossy as being a bit odd, clothed in crimson, and bearing a gift of spiced peaches. Gossamer wasn't entirely sure what a peach was but they looked good and she could reuse the jaw. Gossamer set her herbs aside and offered a nod of greeting. "Thank you." She set the jar next to her herbs before going to greet her parents. She sought to nuzzle each before she caught a figure in the corner of her eye. "Aunty Io! Is that really you?"

Ari might not have known about the birthday party being planned, but she did know it was their birthday and being in the mood to tease and torment her littermates Aris had spent hours carefully constructing birchbark cones that she'd painted with bright colors and wild patterns (getting a great deal of the paint on herself, but luckily it would be easily washed) and primed the wide bottoms of the cones with sticky resin glue (which also got all over her, and was not easy to wash off). She had made a smaller one for Tansy too but the cat had informed her in no uncertain terms that if she tried sticking that thing on her head, she'd claw her in the face. Obviously the idea didn't appeal so she abandoned that idea. Let the wet blanket have her way. She'd just track down and ambush her littermates one by one.

Luckily she didn't have to, because her dad saved her the trouble and called out to summon them all. Also luckily, the paint was dry (and the glue still sticky, she found to her chagrin when she touched it to check and immediately after started sticking to everything) so she gathered the birchbark cones and set off jauntily for the beach.

She didn't bother giving her siblings a chance to react to her presence, instead just popping up behind Briar and Ophelia (and Briar's boyfriend but she hadn't made him a special one, it wasn't his birthday) and squishing their party hats down on top her sister's heads before ninja rolling away, sprinting after Goss (bouncing up in Kotorii's face on the way) to stick their party hats to their head before triumphantly slamming her own down at a roguish angle. Then she tossed out the rest of the party hats to scatter them where everyone could wear one (except wet blanket cats). Now it was a party.

Io was the first to show, and he smiled fondly at his sister as she settled by the firewood. He was glad his grandkids would be able to meet the woman, and hoped she would eventually regain some of her old self. Then Briar appeared and kissed him on the cheek, and he tweaked her nose gently. Next was Kotori, who greeted his Auntie and then came by to say hi to himself and Zee. He ruffled the boy's fur, and caught sight of a stinky Ophelia as she settled herself behind Briar. He padded forward to kiss her cheek, and grinned as Artorias appeared. “Thank you for coming, Aegis Artorias” he teased. Next was Ikigai from Ashen, whose manners were exquisite as she thanked the Armada Alphas. He returned her greeting. “Of course, Ikigai, you're welcome here” He said warmly, and moved over to Halo as the small healer appeared. “Thanks for your help with some of the gifts” he whispered to her with a knowing grin. The Warlord greeted Gossy as she appeared, and kissed her cheek. Aris rushed in, and started attacking her siblings with party hats. Laughing, the Warlord snagged one, and settled it rather regaly over his own dark ears. He then clapped his paws to capture people's attention. “Thank you all for coming. Today, we celebrate mine and Zee’s youngest litter reaching adulthood” and that was still a shocking thought. “Zee and I have prepared some presents. Zee, love, can you grab them?” he asked, looking over at her. His little party hat bobbing. "Speech"